Unravel Me

Now that Juliette is finally free from the Reestablishment she had hoped her life would be a bit easier, but that just isn't in the cards. It seems that even amongst people like her at the Omega Point compound, ones with abilities, she still can't escape the stares of fear. It would seem her reputation has preceded her, and she finds herself unable to fit in. The only bright spot in her day is the little bit of time she gets to spend with Adam, but even that seems to be less and less as Adam becomes further involved with the Omega Point rebel movements. And there's still the looming threat of Warner over her head, as he is a man possessed and on a mission to find her. Her mettle will be tested more than she ever could have realized as she will have to decide just how far she's willing to go to protect the ones she loves. A war is coming and Juliette will be in the middle of it all. Juliette is such an amazing character, which only became more apparent in UNRAVEL ME. She's always at war with herself as she tries to suppress a staggering amount of power. Not only is her touch deadly, but she has the ability to utter destroy anything with a mere touch. Yet, she doesn't want to have this power, she'd rather hide it and pretend to be an ordinary unassuming girl. Considering what she had been put through in her life, it's a wonder she hadn't turned hard and utterly destructive. She's so very vulnerable and incredibly socially inept, and yet she holds such an incredible amount of power at the same time. Take about an insane juxtaposition. Although I will say that I started to see a change in her, especially by the end of the book where she realized that she doesn't have to go into auto-shut down mode over her abilities. That she could learn to harness them and use them to help the people she has come to care about. She's still got a long way to go, but I'm definitely proud of the path she is on now. Once she fully learns to embrace who she is, she will be a force to reckoned with, and I cannot wait to see the Reestablishment get what they deserve! After reading SHATTER ME I was fully team Adam as I just couldn't see myself getting over my utter dislike of Warner. I mean I really despised him to the point where he made my skin crawl. He was just so cruel and heartless, I just didn't understand how anyone could possibly root for him. Then I heard that a lot of people warmed up to him after reading DESTROY ME. So, I gave it a shot, but while it showed that Warner wasn't as heartless as I thought, I still didn't see him as a love interest at all. So imagine my utter surprise that while reading UNRAVEL ME that my opinion of him slowly started to change. So slowly in fact that this change of heart towards him crept up without me even noticing. So now, due to some rather interesting plot twists, I am a utter mess about which team I am rooting for anymore. It isn't rare for the to be no clear cut choice in a love triangle, but it doesn't often happen that my "choice" will change without that particular guy doing something major to dissuade me from his side. So imagine my surprise that I find myself almost leaning towards Warner when I can't even figure out when that changed started to happen. All I can say is that this is how love triangles are supposed to be written. You are supposed to be torn up about the choices ahead, and I really feel the need to tip my hat to Tahereh Mafi for the incredible skill it took to pull this crazy triangle off. I am in sheer utter awe at the incredible range and mix of emotions that I felt while reading UNRAVEL ME. Between the love triangle messiness and the horribleness that is the reestablishment, I was constantly on the edge of my seat. There is just something simply magical about the way Tahereh's words come across the page. I mean the writing is beautiful, eccentric, and lyrical all at once and I can quite honestly say I've never read anything like it. UNRAVEL ME is an utterly refreshing read that is simply not to be missed. I know I'll be counting down the days until the final installment is released.

SPOILER ALERT - IF YOU'VE NOT READ THE FIRST TWO BOOKS READ NO FURTHER!! We find Juliette, Adam, and Kenji at Omega Point. Juliette and Adam are beginning to settle in, or at least Adam is. Juliette slips farther and farther into her old, semi-catatonic state with each passing day. Juliette has reverted to form, her fears and insecurities coming to the fore, easily shattering her resolution made at the end of book one. Castle, the creator and power that runs Omega Point, is working to get Juliette and Adam to learn how to harness their "Energy," otherwise known as their gifts. Just like Kenji learned that he could become invisible, over time and with a lot of hard work he learned to project that out. Now he has reached the point where he can cloak others with his invisibility as long as he is touching them. And this is what Castle is pushing Adam & Juliette to do. But Juliette spirals out of control in her head and is unable to make any progress. Having Castle push just makes things harder, as do all the secrets Juliette is keeping from Adam and the others. Secrets that just keep piling up as time goes by. Even after some of her secrets are revealed by others she still can't take that step to open up and share all she knows. Particularly when it comes to Warner for some unknown reason - except she knows in her heart of hearts why she is holding his secrets safe. The action is never lacking in this installment of the series, nor is the ongoing mental mess that is Juliette. Just when you think she's made a breakthrough she suddenly has a setback and reverts to form. Life with Juliette often seems to be one step forward and two steps back, then three steps forward and one step back. She just can't seem to truly break free of the insanity that she's been struggling to hold at bay for her entire life. Just when things begin to like like they are turning a corner for Juliette she learns something about Adam that has the ability to destroy not only her, but potentially him as well. The interaction between Warner and Juliette is wild in this book. It covers the entire range if emotions and even physical discoveries. Discoveries that are both a blessing and a trial in one, at least from Juliette's point of view. And though Warner comes off as being more stable than Juliette, I tend to think that it is simply a side effect of his military upbringing that allows him to seem so much more 'together' than Juliette. And Juliette's new knowledge of Adam opens the door for Warner to try to step into the breach. Once again Ms. Mafi has crafted a story that is full of compelling characters and intense, individual story lines that all twist together to form the central story. This is another pick it up and read until the end before you can set it down book. My only real issue is with Juliette's continual relapses. By now I am ready to see her take control of her own life and accept responsibility for her actions without constantly apologizing and dissolving into a quivering mess. Yet with the strong ending that once again leaves us hanging, there is no question that I will be reading the next book in the series the day it is released (unless I get lucky enough to wrangle an ARC somehow)!! Now to pray that another book IS planned to follow this one and answer all the loose ends, and that Juliette finds her spine and keeps it. :-)

I must just go ahead and scream this out loud right now: UNRAVEL ME was sooo much better than SHATTER ME. More action based, more depth to the characters, more romance, more intensity. Just a whole lot more going on. The writing was also 100x better. Gone are the days of the over repetitiveness! I'm going to try to be as spoiler free as possible, but I may unintentionally reveal something that happened in the first book. Keeping this in mind, I'm not going to do a recap of the book like I usually do. But still, those of you who haven't read SHATTER ME: be warned! I need to mention the writing. One of my biggest issues with SHATTER ME was the awkward writing. Juliette repeated herself multiple times in a row. She mentally said things but then crossed those thoughts out and replaced them with something else. It made me a bit bats*** crazy, as I imagine being locked up in a cell for almost a year made Juliette. Now that she has finally started to embrace her abilities--sort of, for all intents and purposes--she's more confident and not afraid to speak up. The fluidity of her thoughts are more coherent and less stream of consciousness style that we saw in the first book. Mafi's incredible ability to paint a vivid, and very poetic picture is just as present as ever. There's always that dreaded second book syndrome where the writing, plot, and characters go down the drain. UNRAVEL ME completely avoided this with flying colors. Mafi's writing only got stronger. She's an author that clearly gets better with time and practice. Juliette, unfortunately, was still a bit whiny in the first half of the book. I just wanted her to suck it up and be happy that there are others like her. She still sulks and cowers whenever someone wants her to practice her skills. She mopes around still hating who she is. As much as I wanted to shake her into realizing she is this incredible, and incredibly powerful person, this does help show the tremendous amount of character growth she goes through as the novel progresses. She goes from whiny, everyone hates me to I'm a badass with incredible skills, time to take this sucker down. So proud of her. She's still vulnerable and that's what makes her such a strong character. I despised Warner, the leader of the Reestablishment in Juliette's sector, with a passion in SHATTER ME. He was cold-hearted, calculating, and only wanted Juliette to keep a tight grip on his army and the people in his sector. He had absolutely no problem forcing Juliette to touch one of his men or a baby and definitely had no problem shooting one of his soldiers in the head. Yes, he took Juliette out of her cell and gave her lavish things but he had the cruelest intentions. Or so I thought. There is a certain chapter in this book that took everything I felt about Warner from SHATTER ME and completely threw it out the window. I had hated Warner before. HATED him. But then Mafi goes and writes UNRAVEL ME. Like the title, Warner's true character is slowly unraveled to not only Juliette, but to us, the readers. We get to see a whole new side to him. Never in a million years would I have expected this. Now I'm gushing over him, basically. He puts on an extremely tough front, but deep down, he isn't all that way. The things he says to Juliette just cut me right open. This was one of my absolute favorite things about this book. Warner's character development was phenomenal and was done is such a right way. By the end of the book, he's still closed off for the most part. We know some of his secrets but you can tell that there is a lot more to Warner than meets the eye. I want to know more! I could go on and on about Mafi's ability to make me go from extreme hatred for a character to loving him--that's not to say I'm not still a bit concerned!--but I'll spare you. There was action galore in this book that I became completely invested and lost all track of time while reading. I could not put this down. Based off how much more I loved this book, I cannot wait for IGNITE ME to release. I know it's going to be spectacular, despite all the possible bloodshed and heartbreaking moments.

[...] Happy Valentine's Day! There's nothing like 24 hours dedicated to romance for curling up in bed (alone, or with that special someone) all warm and cozy. I spent the night before rapidly finishing up "Unravel Me", the sequel to "Shatter Me" by Tahereh Mafi. I recently wrote a review for "Destroy Me", the in-between novella that takes place between the first and second installment, and dove straight into the second book afterwards, right into a whirlwind story of adventure and romance. It's almost time for war. Juliette has escaped to Omega Point, the headquarters of the rebel resistance. It is a place for people like her, people with inexplicable powers who are ready to use them to take down the Reestablishment. Although Juliette is free from their plans to use her as a weapon, free to love Adam, she will never be free from her lethal touch. Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. With tensions rising and war approaching, Juliette must break free from her past, so that she can finally discover who she can be. The one thing that I really have to start with is that inevitable love triangle. You saw it coming! Because it plays such a central role in the novel, the love triangle really had to be executed skillfully. By this I mean no heroine selfishly playing around with both boys, or thinking, "he's so hot, why is this happening, his eyes!" while at the same time telling herself, "no, this is the boy I'm supposed to be with". You catch my drift. Admittedly, there definitely was some of that, but I think Ms. Mafi did a good job in somehow not letting Juliette get overly annoying and frustrating with her complicated feelings towards both Adam and Warner. In fact, when I was reading a particular chapter between Warner and Juliette, I swear my heart was going to burst out of my chest! It was just so, so, so full of emotion and charged with tension--you really have to read it to understand what I'm raving about. I don't know whether it's because I read "Destroy Me" and was able to delve into Warner's perspective and really see the depths of his emotions and his vulnerability, but I kind of found myself straying away from Adam and leaning towards Warner! Adam's kind of too boring for me. That emotionally-charged chapter certainly didn't hurt either... I swear I was going to pee in my pants. Speaking of which, I found Warner's character development to be pretty excellent and fitting for this phase in Juliette's story. To see his real vulnerability and love for Juliette, as well as his twisted relationship with his father, really allowed me to empathize and feel for him. It's also important to note that this development wasn't sudden, since Ms. Mafi had previously woven in these threads of Warner's other side, the side that isn't power-hungry and calculating. Instead, it was very natural and very believable, which is what made the whole love triangle business all the more exciting! Now for Juliette. In the beginning, I kind of found her a little too snivelly, too caught up in her own worries and her past to really do anything useful. But Kenji--witty, brutally honest, kick-ass Kenji--finally brings her out of it, and from that moment onwards, I really saw the change Juliette underwent as she tried to accept herself and her power, and to actually deal with her problems head-on rather than worrying about them. I definitely think that there's huge potential in the next book for Juliette to become an even stronger heroine, one who learns to gain confidence and independence and take matters into her own lethal hands. A unique element of the "Shatter Me" series is Juliette's narrative voice. Instead of perfect clauses and perfect sentences, the narrative kind of rambles in long, run-on sentences. I feel like I'm in Juliette's mind, or maybe reading something Juliette's really written herself, especially with the crossed-out sentences where you see her pushing away a thought or a truth or a feeling. I also feel like I've really gotten to know Juliette a lot better through her narration, which is also perfect for building up tension through incomplete sentences and short phrases. As for the storyline, "Unravel Me" remained fast-paced and compelling throughout its entire length. The stakes are high from the very beginning of the novel, and became even higher at the end. There's a lot of action, especially with the war between the resistance and the Reestablishment, and what creates tension more than fighting? There's also a lot of emotional tension as well, which keeps the pace up and running throughout. The plot also had so many twists and turns that came as huge shockers to me as they were unveiled! The truths that are revealed kind of feel like puzzle pieces falling in place, and everything makes so much sense now. Overall, "Unravel Me" is not to be missed with its intensely personal narration and compelling storyline, not to mention the crazy love triangle enhanced by the realistically portrayed character development. It's an emotional thriller of a roller coaster, and I just cannot wait until the next installment to see how everything plays out! Rating: 5/5

Making my way through Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me series and I've just finished Unravel Me! Now I get it. I totally get why everyone seems to be head over heels for Warner. Warner took me completely by surprise in Destroy Me and continued to surprise me in Unravel Me! That moment we saw at the end of the novella? Totally happens in this one, only we see Juliette watching Warner. But onto the review... Juliette and Adam are settling into Omega Point. But lately, Adam's been acting weird. Almost distant. It takes awhile, but finally we learn that Adam's discovered his own set of abilities and their own uniqueness. Without getting into too many details, it comes down to Juliette once again being a danger to everyone--which really wasn't anything new--but this time, that includes Adam. While she hasn't hurt him yet, there's a greater threat that she might one day. So the two are apart for more of this book then they were in Shatter Me. But then Warner comes along. Ah yes, Warner. Like I said, I totally get what everyone's been gushing about the past few years now when it came to this series and this guy! The residents of Omega Point have quite a bit of battles in this one, and through one of them, they manage to take Warner hostage, after they were trying to rescue some of their own who Warner's father kidnapped. Warner's father, as I mentioned in my review of Destroy Me is a complete a-hole. You almost wonder how this man was capable of feelings in order to have a son. But anyway, Warner because the newest "resident" at Omega Point. Unravel Me was definitely an entertaining read, I admit, it started off a little slow. There was so much buildup and dancing around the secret Adam was harboring and when it finally gets revealed, it just felt a bit anticlimactic. It still made for good story fodder, but I don't know. I guess I was expecting something...more. But that is exactly what we get as the story moves along! I mean, there are some shocking revelations in this one! Ones that I was not expecting at all! With those revelations come new problems, but not all were totally explored. The biggest issue--besides the whole battle between The Reestablishment and Warner's dad and the Omega Point people--is the ever present love triangle. Adam, naturally won all our hearts in the first one. Warner, back then skeeved me out with his unhealthy obsession with Juliette, but through his novella and even this novel, we get more of his character. More of who he is and who he shows the world and I definitely like what I saw. Warner is the epitome of the mysterious man. He had many secrets and I feel like he might still be holding back from us even now. So naturally this leaves us with quite a few bursts of romance between Juliette and Guy #1 and Guy #2. And honestly, at this point I have no idea who she will choose. I don't feel like a choice has been made completely on her part. I know who I'd pick, but I won't say. You will find out from whatever emotions I will be expressing after Ignite Me! This is one series that took me by surprise. I find I don't mind Juliette's somewhat scattered thought patterns. She's not as scattered-brain as before. There's still the repetitiveness of some thoughts and there's the occasional crossing out of thoughts, but they are starting to flow rather flawlessly now. It definitely makes for an easier read, although sometimes I think the amount of repetitiveness for some thoughts, like repeating the same phrase over and over, gets a little over done. I would think three times is enough but there might be four or five or six or something. But in all honesty, that is just a minor nuisance in the grand scheme of things. Unravel Me was an amazing read and is not one to be missed! It will definitely drag you further into this new world created by Tahereh and might just convince you to stay! Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

Do you know how you can tell you've found "the" book? When you read it once, and your socks are so completely rocked off, you simply must dive back into the pages and read it again. Or when you browse through your bookmarked sections and highlighted quotes, and you realize that you've dog-eared most of the novel, and just thinking or talking about certain scenes and chapters will a) render you incoherent, b) make your heart race, or c) cause you to break out into a smile so big and bright, the people around you will have to wear shades. That was my experience reading Unravel Me. Even now, as I type this review, I am fighting the urge to pick up the book yet again and read (translation: devour) all my favorite parts, just so I can wallow in all the awesomeness. When the book begins, Juliette and Adam are hiding out at Omega Point, a secret location that is home to the resistance, but it isn't quite the perfect sanctuary they'd hoped for. There's little time or opportunity for them to enjoy their newly-minted couple status, and their fellow rebels are anything but enthusiastic about having Juliette in their midst, making her feel like more of an outcast than ever. And to make matters worse, the increased Reestablishment presence in the area is putting everyone on edge, as troops led by none other than Big Bad Warner himself continue their relentless search for the fugitives. Tensions are high, and everyone is on edge. That's the basic premise of Unravel Me, and it doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of everything this book contains. So much happens! SO. MUCH. Tahereh Mafi didn't just expand on the world she built in Shatter Me, she blew the lid off of it and turned a fantastic story into an epic one. The character development was ah-mazing. No one was safe. From Juliette, to Adam, to Warner, everyone had major curve balls thrown their way. They were tested. They were tried. And each one of them had to decide if they were going to step up or get out of the game. I felt for them, and yet at the same time, I loved seeing them get shaken up, because it revealed so much about each of them. Let's start with Juliette. There's no way around it, she's a hot, beautiful mess, and has been since we first met her in Shatter Me. I actually cheered when certain characters (*coughKENJIcough*) took her to task, giving her a much-needed dose of hard truth and reality. But at the same time, I get it. Brought up the way she was, isolated and cut off from virtually everyone, it makes total sense that she would have a tough time adjusting not only to life at Omega Point, but also fitting in with the people around her. It's not so much that she doesn't want to be a team player, or that she's so caught up in her own drama, she can't see the forest for the trees. It's more a case of not knowing the right moves, because she's never had to make them before. Being a part of something, interacting with people, being loved - it's all new to her. But Juliette is so much more than she gives herself credit for. Does she make mistakes? Yes, absolutely, but she's learning, and every day she shoulders the burdens she is forced to carry a little better than she did the day before. That, to me, is what makes her such a compelling heroine. She's got so much heart, so much power and raw potential (and I'm not just talking about her fearsome abilities)....I can't wait to see where she ends up. Adam, I had a tougher time with. I adored him in Shatter Me, but here, not so much. The way he reacted to certain challenges and tribulations just didn't sit well with me. I expected more from him, and felt like I got less. Either I'm seeing him clearly for the first time, or this wasn't his book to shine and he's going to come back in a big way in book three to totally wow me. Only time will tell. For now, I'm on the fence. With Warner, I had the opposite reaction. He intrigued me in book one, and totally, completely won me over in his novella (Destroy Me). Yes, I am very much Team Warner, and being the diehard fangirl that I am, there is no way I can discuss him objectively. So if you want to take everything I'm about to say with a big, heaping grain of salt, go right ahead, but IMO, Warner made this book. Would it have been great without him? Yes, I'm quite sure it would have been. With him, though - with him, it became something truly phenomenal. He brings something to this series that no one else can or will. He's such a deliciously gray character. Not a villain, and not a classic, do-gooding hero either. He's somewhere in between, and which side of him you see depends on who you are and what the circumstances are. I learned so much more about him in this book, and I ate up every single word he and Juliette exchanged. The tension between them does wonderful, fluttery things to my insides. In my (biased) heart of hearts, I really do believe he understands her in a way no one else can or ever will. Does that mean he is going to get the girl at the end? I honestly don't know. I hope he does (oh, how I hope for that!!!) but at this point, I'm prepared for anything. What matters most to me is that Warner gets a happy ending, whatever that happy ending turns out to be. He's earned it. Before I wrap this review up, I need to mention Chapter 62. Sweet mercy, Chapter 62. I've lost track of the number of times I've read it. Let's just say a lot, and multiply it by infinity. Seriously, BEST. CHAPTER. EVER. Unravel Me did everything a sequel should. It continued to build the world the author created, it cranked up the drama and tension, it challenged the characters and had a ton of OMG-type moments, and most of all, it left me absolutely desperate to read more. I need Ignite Me (book 3) like I need my next breath. So hurry up, February 4th - get here faster! :)

Good book just got more boring than the first book but worth it for the third book

Juliette has escaped from The Reestablishment. Now she's free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch. Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible. Haunted by her past and terrified of her future, Juliette knows that she will have to make some life-changing choices. Choices that may involve choosing between her heart - and Adam's life." I just love the relationship between Adam and Juliette for the most part (more to come on that). The chemistry is over the top with them. When they kissed in the beginning of the book, I just loved the description of Juliette's feelings: "It's like swimming in molasses, this kiss, it's like being dipped in gold, this kiss, it's like I'm diving into an ocean of emotion and I'm too swept up in the current to realize I'm drowning and nothing even matters anymore. Not my hand which no longer seems to hurt, not this room that isn't entirely mine, not this war we're supposed to be fighting, not my worries about who or what I am and what I might become. This is the only thing that matters. This. This moment. These lips. This strong body pressed against me and these firm hands finding a way to bring me closer and I know I want so much more of him. I want all of him. I want to feel the beauty of this love with the tips of my fingers and the palms of my hands and every fiber and bone in my being. I want all of it." Absolutely beautiful and so romantic! But their relationship is about to become a little bit more complicated. Adam's 'gift' of being able to touch Juliette will eventually kill him. Juliette still has the 'poor me' syndrome and has this HUGE chip on her shoulder. At times, it does start to get on your nerves, but finally Kenji tells her like it is, and I was all like 'YAY Kenji!' "All you do is sit around and think about your feelings. You've got problems. Boo-freaking-hoo. Your parents hate you and it's so hard but you have to wear gloves for the rest of your life because you kill people when you touch them Who gives a [...]?" Tell her like it is Kenji! In book one, I had really strong feelings of dislike for Warner, but in Unravel Me, we learn about the life events that have shaped the man that he has become. I really did start to feel sorry for him. What a crappy father he has. What really made me think that there was a glimpse of hope for him was when Juliette discovers him feeding and showing kindness to a stray dog....that just tugged on my heart-strings. I mean anyone who can give a stray dog some affection can't be that bad right? We also find out that Warner really does have strong feelings for Juliette: "I want to be the friend you fall hopelessly in love with. The one you take into your arms and into your bed and into the private world you keep trapped in your head. I want to be that kind of friend," he says. "The one who will memorize the things you say as well as the shape of your lips when you say them. I want to know every curve, every freckle, every shiver of your body, Juliette - " "I want to know where to touch you," he says. "I want to know how to touch you. I want to know how to convince you to design a smile just for me. Yes, I do want to be your friend. I want to be your best friend in the entire world." "I'm so desperately in love with you - " ~~~~sigh~~~~ This just melted my heart and made me realize that I have now joined Team Warner. I basically really get frustrated with love triangles, because like Juliette, I am falling in love with both guys as well. Is Warner in the lead? Hell yes! But it is a small lead, so I guess I will be able to determine the winner in book 3...at least I hope. There also seems to be some hope that Juliette loses the poor me attitude at the end of the book and she is ready to fight.....about time! Take of the gloves sweetie and let's get this show on the road! I really enjoyed reading Unravel Me. Between the love triangle and the wretched Reestablishment, I had so many emotions going on and I was always on the edge of my seat. Ms. Mafi truly does have a way of writing a beautiful, refreshing story that will keep you engrossed the entire time.

I am still enjoying the writing style less than earlier books, or Watch Me which I read first, but I am addicted to the characters and plot so I am in for the series. If you enjoy Dystopian novels with strong protagonists and a less than black and white reality, you will enjoy these books. Tahereh Mafi is a wonderful writer and I doubt she could write a dud if she tried! 💜💙🩵💙💜

Det enda dåliga var att jag var tvungen att köpa alla böckerna i serien för att boken var så bra.

En sevdiğim kitap serilerinden biri❤️

This book was a lot better than the first one. Juliette grows as a character, the story is getting more interesting, you’ll want to stay up until 4am reading it. Ps: buy book 3 as you’ll need it after the ending.

The best book I recommend it to you!!!!!!